Winding apparatus



July 4, 1944.

E. FLETCHER WI'NDING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W/ A A M I 9 3 y 1944. E. FLETCHER 2,352,780

E WINDING APPARATUS I Filed June 13, 1942 E 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patentcd July 4,

I WINDING APPARATUS Y Ed Fletcher, Newark, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a, corporation of Delaware Application June 13, 1 942, Serial No. 446,988 5 Claims. (01. 24 243) This invention relates to winding apparatus for packaging material in strand form and refers -more particularly to improved means for winding a continuous strand 'of material on a revoluble supporting member. -It has special applicability to high speed winding as in the formation and concurrent packaging of strands of fibers such as glass, resin, and the like.

One of the principal'objects of this invention is to build up a continuous strand of material on-a revoluble supporting member by winding the strand around the supporting member in a manner to form a plurality of superposed rows of adjacent turns of thestrand which are centered with respect to one another in the direction of the axis ofthe supporting member and which progressively decrease in length from the inner row to the outer row. As a result of the. above I arrangement, the opposite end walls of the package taper or slope toward each other sufficiently to enable extremely high speed rotation of the supporting member withoutthe danger of the end especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I is a diagrammatic elevational view of apparatus embodying my improved traversing means;

- Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 taken on the line 33 of Figure'2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; c

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken in the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the package.

Although the apparatus forming the subjectmatter of this invention is not limited to packagmg any specific type of strand. nevertheless. it has been found particularly satisfactory when used to package glass or other inorganic or syn thetic organic strands or filaments. Strands of this type are usually manufactured in continuous lengths and are wound into a package asrthey are formed. Usually the speed of forming is limited. by the speed at which the strand may be wound.

The apparatus to be presently described enables a considerable length of strand to be packaged on a single holder and at high speed without interruptlng production.

In the present embodiment of the invention the winding apparatus is disclosed in connection with means for forming glass filaments. This means may include a feeder 8 for molten glass having a plurality of feeding orifices from which streams of molten glass flow. The streams are attenuated in suitable manner as by a rotating spool 9 upon which the finished filaments are wound. Intermediate the feeder and the spool the filaments are collected by a guide III to form a strand II. Thi apparatus may be similar to that disclosed in the Fisher Patent No. 2,224,149.

The strand II is wound around the spoo1 9 or any equivalent rotatable member in a manner to form a plurality of superposed rows of adjacent turns of the strand. As shown in Figure 6, the rows are centered with respect to' one another axially of the spool and the rows progressively decrease in length from the inner row I2 to the outer row. Although the difference in flength of succeeding rows may vary widely in accordance with the results desired, nevertheless, I have shown a package in Figure 6 wherein each succeeding row'has the end turns spaced axially inwardly from the preceding row approximately the width of two strands. This affords aysufficient slope to the opposite ends M of the package to enable winding a strand on the spool or support 9 at very high speed without the danger of the strands sliding off one another or otherwise v fixed frame l8 by a pivotl9 which enables the eye l5 to swing through an arc lengthwise of the spool and to traverse the strand ll along the spool. The opposite end portion 20 of the traversing arm is engaged by a carriage 2| which reciprocates along a path substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the spool 9 and is operatively connected to the end portion 20 of the traversing arm I I by an adjustable device 22 and slidably engages the end portion 20-0! the' traversing arm I].

It follows from the brief description above that the length of the lever arm at the right oi the pivot in Figure 2 or, in other words, the distance between the pivot la and the point of engagement of the device 22 with the end portion 20 of the traversing arm I! may be varied. Variation of the effective length of this lever arm, of course, varies the length of the are through which the eye I! moves relative to the spool and enables the build-up of the strands on the spool to be controlled.

As will be more fully hereinafter explained, the device 22 is automatically adjusted at each cycle of traversing movement of the eye I! by indexing means 24. In practice the eilective length of the lever arm 20 is increased equal increments on successive traversing cycles 'of the eye I. As a result, the extent of successive traversing movements of the eye IS on the end of the traversing arm I! is reduced from about the maximum travel at the time the first layer of strand is'wound on the spool to about the minimum travel when the lastlayer is wound thereon. The amount of reduction of successive traversing .movements is gauged by the required degree of slope of the end walls oi the package and in the present case is selected to obtain the slope indicated in Figure 6,

Referring now more in detail to the apparatus briefly outlined above, the carriage 2| has laterally spaced side plates 28 secured together by end plates 29 and a bottom plate 30. Spaced aligned openings 2| extend through the side plates and the bottom plate adjacent the bottom edges of the carriage for receiving bushings 32. The bushlugs 32 respectively slidably receive laterally spaced rods 33 which extend substantially parallel to the axis-oi. rotation of the rotatable spool 2 and are secured at opposite ends to a pair of fixed plates 34.

The slide or carriage 2| is reciprocated through a fixed distance by a cam 36 supported between the plates 24 by being fixed on a rotatable shaft 21 having the opposite ends respectively journaled in the plates and operatively connected to suitable driving mechanism indicated generally in Figure 1 by the reference character 38. The periphery of the/cam has a continuous groove 29 for receiving a. follower 4|! projecting downwardlyfrom and suitably secured to the slide 2|. The configuration of the peripheral groove 39 is such that one complete revolution of the cam etl'ects a movement of the slide 2| in opposite directions throughout the required distance and, due to the connection between the slide and traversing arm l1, moves the eye I! on theouter end of the arm throughout one traversing cycle.

As stated above, the length of the traversing movement of the eye ll depends on the length of the lever arm 28 and the latter is varied by adjusting the connecting device 22 relative to the pivot I! for the traversing arm H. The device 22 comprises a revoluble screw 4| supported between the side plates 28 of the carriage 2| by being joumaled at opposite ends in the end plates 29. The construction is such as to ,enable rotation of the screw 4| relative to the slide 2| about an axis perpendicular to the path of travelvof the slide 2|. A nut 42 is threaded on the screw and is provided with a pivotally aasaveo mounted, upwardly extending projection 42 slotted as at 44 to slidably receive the end portion 2| of the traversing arm ll.

Th'e nut 42 is of sumcient width to engage the side plates 28 on the slide 2| to be held from rotation with the screw 4|. As a result, rotation of the screw in opposite directions respectively moves the nut 42 toward and away tromthe pivot, I. It is also pointed out at this point that the nut 42 is in the form of a halt nut, being threaded only on the lower half. The threaded part or the nut is yieldably held in threaded engagement with the bottom side oi the screw 4| by a plurality of springs "having the lower ends seated on the bottom plate all oil the carriage and having the upper ends abutting a pressure plate 46. The pressure plate is slidably supported between the side plates 2' and engages the bottom side of the nut 42 to'hold it in threaded engagement with the screw throughout the travel 0f the nut.

In the present instance, the screw 4| is rotated during successive traversing movements of the arm "to move the device 22 step by step in a direction away from the pivot I! to successively increase the length of the effective lever arm 2| by equal increments and thereby gradually reduce successive traversing movements of the outer end ofthe arm I]. Rotation of the screw 4| in the direction necessary to obtain the above operation is accomplished by the indexing means 24. This means comprises a ratchet wheel 41 suitably secured to one end of thescrew 4| and having circumferentially spaced teeth 4! for successively engaging the free end of a spring arm 49 having the other end fixed to a lug on the frame II o! themachine by a screw 52.

The actuator spring 49 is so positioned with respect to the slide 2| that when the latter is moved in one direction by the cam 28, one tooth on the ratchet wheel 41 is engaged by the free end of the spring 48 so that continued movement of the slide in the same direction imparts a rotative movement to the screw 4|. The extent 0! rotative movement of the screw 4| is predetermined by the spacing of the teeth on the ratchet wheel to obtain the adjustment of the lever arm 20 required to secure the selected decrease in the traversing movement of the outer end of the arm l1.

It will be noted from Figure 4 of the drawings that the angular spacing oi the ratchet wheel 41 is such that when the ratchet is advanced one increment by engagement with the actuator 4!, the next adjacent ratchet tooth is moved to a position for engagement with the actuator during the next succeeding cycle of the traversing movement of the slide 2|. The ratchet is held against accidental rotation by means of a leaf spring I having one end secured to the slide 2| and having the free end yieldably engaging .the side 0! the ratchet wheel opposite the side engaged by the actuator 49.

At the completion of a package the apparatus is set up for the next winding operation by manual return oi the nut 4| to starting position. This is done by pressing the nut downwardly against the action of the springs 45 therebe-- neath until the threaded lower half of the nut is d sengaged from the threads on the screw. While being held in this disengaged relation, the nut is moved to starting position at opposite end of the carriage 2| The present apparatus is a relatively simple automatic adjustable packaging mechanism for strands, which enables effectively reducing the length of succeeding rows of thestrands' on the spool to imparta substantial slope to the opposite end walls of the package. This arrangement is highly advantageous, enabling a substantial length of strand to be packaged without discontinuing the production of the strand and without the danger of the strands becoming snarled or tangled upon high speed rotation of e the package;

portion to swing in opposite directions lengthwise of said spool, motion transmitting means having a uniform, travel in opposite directions substantially parallel to the axis of'rotation of the spool,

a screw supported on the motion transmitting means for rotation about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the spool, a, nut releasably engaging said screw and, slidably engaging the portion of the arm at the side of the pivotal support opposite the strand-engaging end of the arm resilient means for holding said nut in operative engagement with said screw, and means responsive to movement of the motion transmitting means during each traversing cycle to impart a rotative movement to the screw in a direction to move the nut in a direction away from the pivotal support for the arm.

2. Winding apparatus comprising a rotatable sliding element supported on the carriage for movement crosswise of said slideway toward and away from the pivotalsupport for the arm and slidably engagingthe end portion of the arm at the side of the pivotal support opposite the strand-engaging end of the arm, and means operable during successive traversing cycles of the strand-engaging end of the arm to move the element step by step in a direction away from the pivot and thereby reduce the length of successive traversing movements of the strand-engaging 'end of the arm, including a screwrotatably supingly engaging the strand and pivoted intermespool over which a strandis to be'wound, means for traversing a strand along the spool including a frame, an arm having one end portion guidingly engaging the strand and pivoted intermediate its ends to said frame to enable the said end portion to swing in opposite directions lengthwise of the spool, a slideway on said frame extending substantially parallel with the axis of ported on said carriage, a threaded connection between said screw and the sliding element onthe carriage, and means for periodically rotating said screw.

4. Winding apparatus comprising a rotatable spool onto which a strand is to be wound, means for traversing a strand along the spool including a frame, an arm having one end portion guiddiate its ends to said frame to enable the said end portion to swing in opposite directions lengthwise of said member, a slideway on said frame extending substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the spool, a carriage on said slideway movable in opposite directions therealong, an adjustably sliding element supported" on the carriage for movement crosswise of said slideway toward and away from the pivotal support for, the arm, a stud rotatably mounted on said sliding element and slidably engaging the portion of the arm at the side of the pivot for the arm opposite the strand-engaging end of said arm, and means responsive to movement of the carriage forsuccessively moving the sliding element equal increments in a direction away from the pivot for the arm during succeeding traversing cycles of the arm.

5. Winding apparatus comprising a spool over which a strand is to be wound, a frame, means for traversing the strand along the spool ineluding an arm having one end portion slidably rotat on of the spool, a carriage on said slideway movable in opposite directions therealong, a sliding element supported on the carriage for movement toward and away from the pivotal support for the arm and slidably engaging the end portion of the arm at the side of the pivotal support opposite the strand-engaging end of the arm, and means for moving said element relative to the support for the arm during each traversing cycle of the strand-engaging end of the arm.

3. Winding apparatus comprising a rotatable spool over which a strand is to be wound, means for traversing the strand along the spool including a frame, an arm having one end portion slidably engaging the strand and pivoted intermediate its ends to said frame to enable the said end portion to swing in opposite directions lengthwise oi the spool, 'a slideway on said frame extending substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the spool, a carriage on said slide way movable in opposite directions therealong, a

engaging the strand and pivotally supported intermediate its ends to enable the said end portion to swing in opposite directions lengthwise of said spool, a cam mounted for rotation on said frame/a pair of bars secured in said frame and extending in substantial parallelism with the axis of rotation of said spool, a carriage slidably supported on said bars for sliding movement in opposite directions therealong, a projection on said carriage in engagement with said cam to cause reciprocation of the carriage upon rotation of said cam, a screw supported on the carriage for rotation about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the spool, a nut on said screw slidably engaging the portion of the arm at the side of the said pivot for aid arm opposite'the strand-engaging end of the arm, and means responsive to movement of the carriage during each traversing cycle to impart a rotative movement to the screw in a direction to move the nut in' a direction away from, the pivot for the arm.

ED FLETCHER; 

